Not an Uncle by blood
by AmiliaPadfoot
Summary: Molly loves all her Uncles dearly. So why does Harry seem little more than a family friend to her? Harry sets out to show her that family is more than being tied by blood. He may not be an uncle by blood, but he's going to be a bloody good uncle...


**Not an Uncle by blood**  
><strong>By: Amilia Padfoot<strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Just the idea and plot.**

**Summary: Molly loves all her Uncles dearly. So why does Harry seem little more than a family friend to her? Harry sets out to show her that family is more than being tied by blood. He may not be an uncle by blood, but he's going to be a bloody good uncle, whether she likes it or not.**

**A/N: Okay you may see a lot of these creeping through now. Harry and his nephews and nieces, that is. I'm quite enjoying writing them. Hope you enjoy them too! Here's him and Molly. Next? Hmm, Lucy perhaps?**

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><p>Potter manor was filled to the brim with people. Every nook and cranny seemed to contain a guest drinking, eating or laughing; just generally basking in each other's company – and there was still more people yet to come. Amongst the stream of individuals making their way in, a woman, with bright auburn hair, waved over to the man holding the door open with a huge grin on his face.<p>

"Audrey!" The man made sure the door was permanently open before making his way over to the woman.

"Harry, how are you?" she smiled warmly, hugging him briefly.

"Great. You?" Audrey nodded once then rolled her eyes.

"I have no idea where Percy and the girls have got to." They scanned the crowed together, spotting them not far away, talking to Hermione. Audrey waved over to them, effectively getting their attention.

"Uncle Harry!" Lucy broke away from the group and ran over to him. He scooped her up in his arms and spun her around.

"Lu-lu!" Lucy giggled at her pet name as he put her down again.

"Quite the turn out, isn't it?" Percy had finally joined them, his arm around Molly.

"Yes, it is, isn't it? Even Charlie managed to come over, and Gabriele came over from France as well. Looks like we're all here."

"Molly? Aren't you going to say hello?" Audrey prompted her daughter who was yet to say a word.

"Hello Harry," She said with a discreet nod, as if they were meeting for the first time. Harry smiled affectionately at her, inwardly sighing. He'd hoped that Molly would warm up to him at some point. He saw Audrey frown, and open her mouth to correct her daughter but he gave her a quick 'don't worry about it' look.

"Hello Molly. How's school?"

"I'm doing very well in my classes, thank you." There was a moment's awkward silence. Percy coughed.

"Shall we go in now then?" Audrey suggested quietly before smiles could become even more fixed.

"Right, yes. We'll be seeing you later then, Harry."

"In a bit, Uncle Harry!" Lucy called giving him a mock salute as the small family made their way inside. Harry smiled to himself, but it was a sadder one than expected from him at such an occasion.

"You alright, Harry?" Hermione appeared out of nowhere beside him with a bottle of butterbeer, which she offered to him. She was looking stunning in a simple blue dress, and he thought it would be a good idea to tell her so.

"You look amazing."

"Thank you, but don't avoid the question. Really, what's wrong?"

"Who says anything's wrong?" He defended, already knowing there was no point in hiding it.

"Your face does" She replied matter-of-factly, opening her own butterbeer. Harry sighed.

"Have you noticed how little Molly, um, doesn't seem to like me much?"

"I'm sure she likes you. She's just doesn't know you as well as her other Uncles." she offered. "I mean, you don't really spend much time with her."

"I've offered! Lots of times. And it's not like she's been very inviting herself." Hermione raised and eyes brow at him, noting the hurt in his voice. She hadn't realized how upset he was over it. She put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Just keep trying. Maybe you should invite her over."

Harry snorted at that. "What and have another war on our hands?" It was a known fact that the Potter kids did not like Molly in the slightest. Albus refused to speak to her, Lily had constant fights with her and James in particular seemed to live to annoy her.

As if just thinking about it had set off, like some kind of jinx, a shriek was heard from the living room, followed by an angry shout of,

"James! What do you think you're playing at!" Harry closed his eyes as if in prayer and heaved a deep sigh before following Hermione inside.

Molly covered head to foot in peas was not a pretty sight and nor was a very angry Ginny Potter. "Go to your room, and _stay_ there!"

"I haven't eaten anything." He protested weakly.

"I don't care! Go on, go, _before_ I lose my temper!" James, not wanting that at all, gave Molly a final glare and hissed something that Harry didn't catch, and ran up the stairs. Ginny waved her wand at Molly, so that the peas neatly vanished.

"Come on, Molly, you can come help me in the kitchen." Ginny told her kindly putting a guiding had on her shoulder. Molly smiled at her, a genuine smile.

"Thanks Aunt Ginny." Harry gave Hermione a pointed look, but walked away before she could either console him or counter attack his worries.

* * *

><p>"Ugh, Go away" James groaned. He was peeved that he's missed the party, and the food! Oh the food! Just because stupid Molly couldn't take a joke. She'd deserved it anyway. Why did she have to be such a stuck up-<p>

"So you don't want food then? I'll just go away-"

"No!" James jumped off the bed and eagerly took the plate from his dad. "mffthg."

"Try emptying your mouth first" James swallowed and grinned.

"I said thanks."

Harry nodded then shrugged before sitting down on the bed. James followed suit.

"Can't let you have nothing"

"Does mum know?" Harry thought for a second then smirked.

"Probably" There was a silence in which James ate and Harry ran a hand through his hair. James stopped wolfing down his food, knowing his dad only did that when something was bothering him. Before he could ask, though, Harry beat him to it.

"Why? Why do you have to be so mean to her? She's your cousin."

"Doesn't mean I have to like her," James shrugged then continued hastily "I just can't stand her. Honestly. I hate the way she treats you for a start."

Harry blinked for a second wondering if he heard wrong. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, you're not daft. Surly you've noticed that she never calls you 'Uncle'?"

Harry just gave a half-hearted one shoulder shrug. "I'm fine with it."

James snorted. "No you're not. She treats you like a damn stranger. You're telling me you're not hurt by that?" Harry closed his eyes, but said nothing, so James continued. "She doesn't see you as part of the family, or the immediate part at least."

"What, because I married in?"

"Why do you think Al won't talk to her? And Lily would rather pull her hair out than share so much as the air with her. Me? Meh, I just find her annoying in general to be honest."

"Still, you don't have to put peas on her head."

"Hey, she rejects you, we reject her. Simple as." Harry stared at him for a moment then pulled him into a tight hug.

"Whoa, watch the food!"

James managed to put the plate on the bed before it could be fed the floor then sighed and patted his dad on the back awkwardly.

"Don't let it get to you, dad. She isn't worth it."

"Yes she is, James. She's my niece." Harry knew at that moment he was going to have to prove himself, and show her that family was down to a lot more than blood.

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><p>"Take good care of her."<p>

"Calm down dear, we're only going out for the day, and can you really see Molly getting into trouble?" Audrey reassured her husband with a hint of exasperation. She turned back to Harry before he could even reply.

"Thanks for coming over at such short notice, Harry."

"Not at all. It's fine, you guys have a great time." Audrey smiled and put her jacket on that Percy handed to her. She held her hand out to Lucy but her daughter crossed her arms over her chest firmly, her lips set in a perfect pout.

"Mum! I don't want to go! Can I stay here with Uncle Harry and Molly?" Both parents shook their heads fondly.

"No, it's your school. And you'll have fun! It's a festival after all." Harry felt strange hearing this coming from Percy but then again war changed people, as did children.

"But it's the same every year! And Caleb and Jake are _so_ annoying!" She complained loudly, before turning her Puppy dog eyes on her dad "Please, let me stay. I'll be so good! I promise. I won't disturb Molly. I won't even breathe loudly!"

"Lu-lu, you have to come. You'll have a great time. Besides don't you want to play games with Caleb and Jake?"

"I don't want to play with them" Lucy cried in exasperation - didn't he just hear that she found them annoying?

"Why not?" Harry chimed in. "Why don't you show them what a girl can do?" Lucy thought about this for a second then smirked.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" She took her dad's hand and practically dragged him out the door. "See ya Uncle Harry!"

"Send us a patronus if anything happens." Percy called as he was pulled away. Audrey shook her head and followed her family out the door, Harry closing it soundlessly behind them.

Mind set on the mission ahead of him, he made his way up the stairs of the quiet home, stopping on the second landing outside Molly's bedroom. He'd never been up here before but the brass plate on the door with 'Molly Weasley' on it was a bit of a clue that he was in the right place.

Feeling a bit like he was outside a headmaster's office, he knocked once on the door. There was a deep sigh from behind it, then, "Come in". Thinking that he'd just imagined the muttered _'if you must'_he pushed it open and immediately wondered if had gotten the wrong room after all - Surely he was in a small library. He knew Audrey was a Librarian, but he didn't think she'd felt the impulse to have her daughter sleep in one.

"Nice room." She raised her eyes suspiciously but acknowledged the compliment with a tight smile, barely looking up from the book she was reading. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, playing absentmindedly with a strand of curly auburn hair.

"What time do you want lunch?"

"Twelve would be nice."

"Right" Harry leaned on the door frame. Anything at all that could lead to a conversation with his niece had seemed to have vacated his brain. He couldn't even look around from inspiration. Having a room full of books on shelves could only give you so much to think about, without picking one up, after all.

"So, what are you reading?"

"I'm studying."

"Already?"

"Yes."

"Right" There was an awkward pause in which he wondered if he should give up. She obviously didn't want to talk to him. He wished he was closer to his niece but he figured he never would be, unless he got over this barrier between them somehow. "Need any help?"

Molly put the book down and finally looked up at him with nothing but annoyance on her face. Getting the point Harry was about to leave when Molly spoke up, perhaps realizing his intentions were genuine.

"You can test me if you want." Harry supposed he couldn't really blame her for her hesitation when his kids, two who looked freakishly like him, were less then friendly towards her. But then he remembered what James had said. Sizing his chance to prove her wrong he sat on the bed opposite her, took the book, _'Magical Defense Theory_' from her and flipped to a random page.

She sat up straight, a determined look upon her face and awaited the questions. She answered each and every one, clearly, precisely and as if she had the book right in front of her. In fact, the answers were so word-for-word he had started making up questions from the top of his head, which had annoyed her. To her credit, however, she had a go at all of them. She would pass a theory exam with flying colours that was for sure.

"What incantation do you use to produce a Shield charm?"

"The incantation required is Protego. This is the simplest form. Other varieties of the charm would be Protego Duo, Protego Horribils, Protego Totalum and Protego Maxima." Harry looked down at the book and sure enough there it was word for word.

"Can you produce one?"

Molly opened her mouth ready to spill out another well remembered answer but stopped as the question was registered.

"Of course I can!" Harry closed the book and put it aside.

"Show me."

"I can't show you! I can't use magic out of school" she protested loudly.

"No one will know - come on, live a little!"

"You're not setting a very good example. What would my parents say?"

"I think they would be more concerned about whether you can protect yourself or not."

"Well, I can hardly do it here."

"Yes, you're right. Let's go over Grimmauld."

"Grimmauld?" She rarely went over there, only on big family occasions.

"Yea, Grimmauld. It will be empty now and there is loads of space. Surely you want to do some practical practice as well?"

"What about my-"

"I'll let them know where we are."

Molly sighed, defeated. "Fine"

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><p>Furniture picked itself up and scuttled to the sides, making a generous space in the centre of the room. Harry flicked his wand again casually and breakable things sprang to life, hastily hiding themselves away as if fearing what spells would be unfurled in their once peaceful room.<p>

Molly stood to the side, hiding her impressed look behind her usual mask of calm. She beat down her nerves, not letting them surface. She hadn't told Harry, and she wasn't planning on doing so, but she had never tried to produce a shield charm. But, really, how hard could it be? She had read the theory so well that she could write it backwards. Though, she fretted, what if she said the incantation and nothing happened?

She looked up at Harry, almost as if to put this question to him, and saw him smiling reassuringly at her as though he could read her mind. He looked at her expectantly and, ignoring how she felt a little calmer at the smile, frustration welled up inside her. _Why,_did he have to be so_interfering_? All her other uncles – sorry, _proper_ uncles - knew to leave her to herself. She had been perfectly fine up in her room studying.

What was it to him if she could produce a charm or not? Was he really concerned for her or was this just another way for her to be humiliated? No, she told herself firmly, she would _not_ be humiliated. She would not allow it. Then again, a more logical part of her mind awoke; surely he would have made her do it in front of others? Yet as she looked around there was nobody but them there.

So it was concern? She didn't need his worry. She had her parents to do that. And there were her Uncles and Aunt Ginny. She was particularly fond of her Aunt Ginny. Especially when she yelled her head off at James.

With that happy thought in mind she cleared her throat and raised her wand.

"Protego!" A slight misty substance shot out of her wand and faded as quickly as it had come. She tried again much to the same result. Getting frustrated she waved her wand again,

"Protego! Protego!" Burning red with anger and embarrassment she looked down at her wand wondering why it wasn't working.

"Molly?" She ignored him a tried again.  
>"Protego!" She tried not to scream out load in sheer aggravation. She was about to try another time but he took her arm gently.<br>"Molly, calm down" She tugged away and turned her back on him not wanting to see the amusement in his eyes.

"Molly, this is a very complicated spell and for you first try-" Molly cut him off furiously.

"Who said it was my first try?" He just smiled at her, that dam annoying smile.

"It was a bit obvious" Molly but her lip angrily and glared up at him, though she couldn't deny he was right.

"Why don't I show you how it's done?" He suggested and reluctantly she let him show her how to position her wand, how to pronounce the incantation, how to keep focused on the spell even after saying the incantation and soon enough she could produce a shield charm and hold it. Harry even threw a couple of weak hexes at her when she was confident enough and he had had to dodge out the way as each bounced right back at him.

She beamed happily as he picked himself up. "Thank you, Harry"

Harry's smile slipped a little and for the first time felt a slight twist of guilt but she pushed it aside hastily.

"Do you think you could teach me some of those hexes?" Harry stared at her for a moment then grimaced a little, probably wondering what his kids would say if they ever found out he had been teaching the 'enemy' hexes.

"You want to learn hexes?" Yes, Molly had to admit, it did seem a little out of character for her. She may be strict and firmly believed in the rules of both school and society - they were a safety net for her, something to stick to and rely on - but she had to admit it would be useful to know a few.

"Yes, surely offence can be part of defence?" She knew there was no way he could argue with that. He smiled and nodded, apparently over the worry of teaching her things that would surely be used against his own children. But they could hold their own; she knew that all too well.

"Alright," He asked aloud, more to himself then anything. "What first?"

"This is brilliant!" Molly cried gleefully. Harry sat up on the floor. She was good, he had to admit.

"You're a fast learner!" Molly smiled at the complement. She couldn't really hide the fact that she has enjoyed learning new spells with Harry. She went over them in her head determined not to forget them. She couldn't keep the grin off her face.

"I can't wait to use them on Ja-ck!"

Harry raised an eyebrow at that. "Jack?" Molly blushed. "I'm going to pretend I believe you" Molly just nodded, still blushing at her near slip, but inwardly she was smirking. She would love to see the look on James's face when she put the tickling curse on him, especially when she told him how she had learnt it.

Harry shuffled to the side to make room for her to sit beside him on the floor. "So who's Jack then?"

"No-one" Molly mumbled quickly. A little _too_ quickly.

"Come on, you can tell me." He encouraged. Molly didn't even bristle at the slight teasing tone in his voice. She couldn't quite understand it but it was different from the one James would use.

"It doesn't matter."

"Why doesn't it?" Molly want sure why, or even when she had come to let her mask slip. Maybe it was just now or even way before when she had, before she could stop herself, given Harry a high-five after nailing her first ever hex. Molly most certainly did _not_ give people high-fives on a daily basis. She had 'loosened up', as it were, more today than she ever had over most her life as a whole. It was this fact that stopped her being surprised at herself when she murmured, "He doesn't even notice me."

"But you notice him?" he prompted, already knowing the answer.

"It's hard not to."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"He thinks I'm a bossy-know-it-all."

"Ron used to think Hermione was a bossy-know-it-all and look where they are now."

Molly smiled a little at the mention of Hermione. She liked Hermione; she could even see a little of herself in her. She wanted to be like Hermione. Hermione even had her dream job. Molly didn't get along with her as much as her Aunt Ginny but she got on with Hermione a lot better that her other 'Aunts'. She hardly ever saw Fleur, let alone had a chat with her, and she wasn't too keen on Angelina.

Hermione thought was a great person to talk to when she was down. Or about school work and careers. She had great tips and seemed to have the most interesting books.

"I don't want to _marry_ him. I just want him to notice me." Molly tensed, completely taken by surprise as Harry pulled her into a hug.

"Don't worry about it Molly. Try to get to know him and if he still can't see what he's missing then that's his loss." Molly didn't know quite how to react to that so she smiled and said what she finally realized she should have been saying all along.

"Thanks, Uncle Harry"

Harry beamed at her warmth spreading thought him. It wasn't much, but it was a step in the right direction.

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><p><strong>Hey guys! So what do you think? Please, Please review. Anon reviews should be replied to on my profile. What do you think of Molly?<strong>

**Also I would love to know if you'd want me to continue this into a 'Not and Uncle by blood' series. I've already done him with Rose and Hugo so might as well keep it up. If I do you can see this and number 1 and 'You are brave Hugo Arthur Weasley' as number 2. Ah I'll make it clear. **

**I might even continue this one day as well, as it's a bit too short to show how Molly grows to **_**truly**_** see him as an uncle and that her views are wrong, but I'd like to have a piece on every next gen kid with Harry before I go delving deeper. **

**Still have no idea when I'll have time to write again but the order of things, when they do happen, is another chap of CWT then Birthdays then either this again or WAYTH. But that's all in the future. Thank you all of you that voted on my Poll! I have all I need to know so keep an eye out for a new one at some point. **

**I Hope you're all in good health, have a nice day and don't forget to review! :-) – Luv Ami. X**


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